If someone made a film about it you’d never believe it……..oh, hang on, they did!

http://wyborcza.pl/1,86871,5244160,Trapped_at_Airport_Terminal.html

and the very Sheremyetyevo airport you visited…

To summarize, the reasons seems to be mostly because they are not sure what they will end up with if they do get to vote freely, they would not know who to vote for anyway and they are scared that they might end up with one of the “old style” dictators rather than one, like Putin, who seems to be improving things. There was also a healthy dose of “What are we supposed to do about it?”.

I suggested that things are unlikely to change until the vast majority of people take to the streets and demand real democracy. This seemed to give some pause for thought but I never got the impression that this is likely to happen in the near future.

It’s quite sad really.

To sum up:
Poles despise Russia.
Poles like individual Russians.
Poles feel sorry for Russians as citizens.

As to Russians – and the questions you were asked if Poles hated them…. I don’t think Poles hate Russians. We know Russia. We know what Russia is like. I think Poles in general view Russians as inferior, as incapable of producing a democratic state that is treating everyone with respect and fairness. As incapable of a rebellion against bad leaders and wrong system. Russians don’t do and don’t want to do anything to make Russia a better place. Therefore Russians don’t respect themselves. And that is also why Poles have little respect for Russia.

Russia as a country, even when it conquered lands, it never brought growth or prosperity. It always brought violence and backwardness. There is nothing to like about Russia.

But Moscow is just way too expensive…